Judith Owen's Obsession with the Yamaha C7
BUENA PARK, Calif. "I am obsessed with the piano," confesses singer-songwriter Judith Owen. "I can't put it any other way. I own five pianos. If I walk into someone's house and there's a piano, I immediately have to excuse myself and go over to see it, like it's a dog. I literally get goose bumps when I'm around a piano."
Owen plays a Yamaha C7 conservatory grand piano at home and in the studio. "I just happen to be a C7 girl," she says. "It's the piano that sounds exquisite for the type of player I am. When I record with my C7, I'm as happy as a pig in mud."
The Welsh-born Owen may be single-minded when it comes to her instrument, but not when it comes to music. Her five albums veer effortlessly from jazz to rock to pop, all delivered with sly intelligence and dramatic verve.
Besides pursuing her solo career, Owen has been performing alongside singer-guitarist Richard Thompson in a production uniquely suited to her uncommon stylistic range. "It's called 1,000 Years of Popular Music," she says. "It goes from Gregorian chant to Britney Spears in two-and-a-half hours. We touch on opera, folk music, music hall, jazz, and rock and roll, all the way to the present day. I'm the pianist and female singer the 'diva,' basically. It's thrilling, because I'm such a huge fan of Richard."
Owen credits her father with inspiring her passion for so many styles. "He was an opera singer and also a great pianist. He sang in the choir at Covent Garden Opera House for 37 years, and I went every weekend from the time I was five. Hearing the orchestra made me cry, beam, and then cry some more. Then I'd go home and imitate those chords on the piano."
But classical wasn't the only genre of music Owen and her family enjoyed. "My father was a blues, gospel, and jazz fanatic," she recalls. "He was crazy for jazz piano and the great jazz singers."
Owen says her upcoming sixth album, Here, will be a change of pace from last year's jazz-influenced Lost and Found: "I'm returning to that classic pop place, which I truly love."
The new album will also feature some out-of-the-ordinary covers. "I recorded 'Black Hole Sun' and 'Eye of the Tiger.' What attracted me to those songs is the fact that they're great songs."
Here gave Owen's Yamaha pianos a workout. "It's a very piano-centric record," she notes. "I mean, lots and lots and lots of piano. I use the piano for overdubs, as if it were a full orchestra. As a kid, I loved the piano's orchestral quality. I still love that about the piano. I love it. I love it, I love it!"
Here was scheduled for release on August 8, followed by extensive touring to support the new record.
For more information about Yamaha Pianos, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; email infostation@yamaha.com; or telephone (714) 522-9011.
 Singer and songwriter Judith Owen |
The Welsh-born Owen may be single-minded when it comes to her instrument, but not when it comes to music. Her five albums veer effortlessly from jazz to rock to pop, all delivered with sly intelligence and dramatic verve.
Besides pursuing her solo career, Owen has been performing alongside singer-guitarist Richard Thompson in a production uniquely suited to her uncommon stylistic range. "It's called 1,000 Years of Popular Music," she says. "It goes from Gregorian chant to Britney Spears in two-and-a-half hours. We touch on opera, folk music, music hall, jazz, and rock and roll, all the way to the present day. I'm the pianist and female singer the 'diva,' basically. It's thrilling, because I'm such a huge fan of Richard."
Owen credits her father with inspiring her passion for so many styles. "He was an opera singer and also a great pianist. He sang in the choir at Covent Garden Opera House for 37 years, and I went every weekend from the time I was five. Hearing the orchestra made me cry, beam, and then cry some more. Then I'd go home and imitate those chords on the piano."
But classical wasn't the only genre of music Owen and her family enjoyed. "My father was a blues, gospel, and jazz fanatic," she recalls. "He was crazy for jazz piano and the great jazz singers."
Owen says her upcoming sixth album, Here, will be a change of pace from last year's jazz-influenced Lost and Found: "I'm returning to that classic pop place, which I truly love."
The new album will also feature some out-of-the-ordinary covers. "I recorded 'Black Hole Sun' and 'Eye of the Tiger.' What attracted me to those songs is the fact that they're great songs."
Here gave Owen's Yamaha pianos a workout. "It's a very piano-centric record," she notes. "I mean, lots and lots and lots of piano. I use the piano for overdubs, as if it were a full orchestra. As a kid, I loved the piano's orchestral quality. I still love that about the piano. I love it. I love it, I love it!"
Here was scheduled for release on August 8, followed by extensive touring to support the new record.
For more information about Yamaha Pianos, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; email infostation@yamaha.com; or telephone (714) 522-9011.
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